“Why do people who can talk right waste so many words saying nothing?”
Victor resents those who have perfect speech and do not have to be incapacitating by stuttering like he is. His speech impediment cripples his confidence and makes him appear as unwise thus makes him more infuriated. As a child passionate about poetry and words, he views those who do not stutter as wasting their perfect speech on irrelevant rumblings. He wishes to conquer his stuttering in order to convey his intelligible thoughts rather than waste it like most grown-ups.
“If some other man and my mother got together to make me then why did I like being around my father more than my mother? I liked to talk to my father a whole lot more than my mother. My father never seemed to mind that I stuttered so much.”
The assertion alludes to the fact that being a nurturing dad is beyond genetics and it takes a good character and disposition. Victor’s Dad is encouraging and supportive towards his stuttering which over time gives Victor the confidence to accept himself wholly. Thus, this nurturing climate created by a father figure who is not even biologically related to him creates a special bond between them.
“Thinking about somebody hurting Mam and then remembering all the stupid rules that Mam had to live by just because of her color made going to sleep a hard job.”
Victor begins to understand the concept of race and the presence of racism in his society. He cannot comprehend these primitive rules by grown-ups that separate and prejudice because of the skin color. Segregation being a background motif in the novel, it is explored through the eyes of Victor who criticizes the dynamic. He sees the limitations that Mam experiences in her daily life and want to ease her burdens as much as he can. However, realizes how complex the whole concept of subverting ingrained social constructs is.
“Words in the air blow away as soon as you say them but words on paper last forever.”
The coming-of-age novel focuses on Victor’s journey as he learns about different ideas in society. Initially, the debilitating nature of his stuttering makes him lack the poise of articulating himself. But during the course of his errands, he understands the way to convey and articulate oneself that is much more concrete, writing. This gives him the composure to even proclaim his stutter and embrace patience in expressing himself.
